EBUS-TBNA versus mediastinoscopy for mediastinal staging of lung cancer: a cost-minimization analysis

OBJECTIVE: To assess cost differences between EBUS-TBNA and mediastinoscopy for mediastinal staging of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: This was an economic evaluation study with a cost-minimization analysis. We used a decision analysis software program to construct a decision tree model to compare the downstream costs of mediastinoscopy, EBUS-TBNA without surgical confirmation of negative results, and EBUS-TBNA with surgical confirmation of negative results for the mediastinal staging of NSCLC. The study was conducted from the perspective of the Brazilian public health care system. Only direct medical costs were considered. Results are shown in Brazilian currency (Real; R$) and in International Dollars (I$). RESULTS: For the base-case analysis, initial evaluation with EBUS-TBNA without surgical confirmation of negative results was found to be the least costly strategy (R$1,254/I$2,961) in comparison with mediastinoscopy (R$3,255/I$7,688) and EBUS-TBNA with surgical confirmation of negative results (R$3,688/I$8,711). The sensitivity analyses also showed that EBUS-TBNA without surgical confirmation of negative results was the least costly strategy. Mediastinoscopy would become the least costly strategy if the costs for hospital supplies for EBUS-TBNA increased by more than 300%. EBUS-TBNA with surgical confirmation of negative results, in comparison with mediastinoscopy, will be less costly if the prevalence of mediastinal lymph node metastasis is ≥ 38%. CONCLUSIONS: This study has demonstrated that EBUS-TBNA is the least costly strategy for invasive mediastinal staging of NSCLC in the Brazilian public health care system.